Praveen Kumar Named Interim Dean of Bauer College

Praveen Kumar, Cullen Distinguished University Chair and Professor of Finance has been named the Interim Dean of the C. T. Bauer College of Business effective July 1. A national search for the Dean of the Bauer College will soon commence.

Kumar currently serves as the Senior Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and the Department Chair of Finance in Bauer College. He is a leading scholar in finance with a stellar record of publishing in top journals. Kumar also has a distinguished teaching record. He is the recipient of the University of Houston Research Excellence Award; the UH Individual Teaching Excellence Award; and the UH Group Teaching Excellence Award.

Kumar has introduced major curriculum innovations that have substantially improved student success by opening new pathways to business leadership positions for Bauer graduates. He is the co-founder of the Global Energy Management Institute (now the Gutierrez Energy Management Institute) that developed Bauer as a leading center of energy business education and research. He also introduced highly successful programs in investment management, real estate, risk management and insurance, commercial banking, and personal financial planning.

UH Provost Diane Z. Chase shared the news with the campus community on June 12, noting that the university will conduct an expedited and efficient search for top candidates from across the nation to fill the role of Bauer College dean.